Facebook reveals new SDK for PC game development
SDK includes new features around community engagement and analytics
With more than 800 million people playing games on Facebook each month, the social media platform has announced a new software development kit for PC gaming.
Revealed yesterday at GDC, the SDK supports both C++ and Unity. It also includes a host of new features around community engagement and analytics.
In a developer blog, software engineer Alex Hopmann detailed the platform's focus on increasing community engagement, such as the new livestreaming API which allows developers to add Facebook streaming functionality to their PC games without any third-party software. The new livestreaming API will also be available for mobile developers in the coming weeks via the updated API.
Tied into the livestreaming is a new rewards feature that allows developers to curate and grant free, in-game rewards for viewers that tune in during live streams on Facebook.
As a topic, games make up one of the largest categories of groups on Facebook; the improved SDK is geared towards engaging communities around games by allowing developers to integrate real time player stats from their games into Facebook Group and connect with others to play with.
Finally, app events and analytics will allow, for the first time, PC developers to integrate custom app events and leverage Facebook Analytics to better understand the community around their game.
This new feature in Facebook's games SDK for PC development was previously available on mobile and web. According to Hopmann, integrating app events should provide developers with valuable insights they can use to improve game mechanics and better understand the needs of their community.
We recently spoke to Facebook about its plans to attract more streamers and games-centric content creators, and whether the firm believes it can catch up to market leader Twitch.